Common Acronyms,Educational Terms and Jargon

Used at Fishkill Elementary School

2 Hour DelayWhen the district calls for a 2-hour delay the school day will begin two hours after its usual start time. For example: Fishkill Elementary school day begins at 8:50am. During a 2-hour delay, school will start at 10:50am.

“A.I.S.” or Academic Intervention Services A teacher or teaching assistant provides academic support to students in grades K-5. Students who are at risk or who have not reached the proficiency level of the New York State learning standards are offered extra interventions during the school day. Parents or teachers may recommend students for A.I.S. The A.I.S. teacher and assistant may push-in to the regular classroom, or students may be pulled out.

A.P.P.R.The Annual Professional Performance Review is an evaluation of a teacher’s or principal’s practice.

- A teacher’s practice must reflect the New York State Teaching Standards.

A principal’s practice must reflect the Education Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008.

- Teacher and principal evaluations include student achievement and growth data.

Banana SplitsA program that is designed to create peer support for those students whose parents are newly separated or divorced. Students, with the guidance of a teacher, voluntarily meet to share and bond.

Benchmark AssessmentsBenchmark assessments are short tests administered throughout the school year that give teachers immediate feedback on how students are meeting academic standards. Regular use of benchmark assessments is seen by many as a tool to measure student growth and design curriculum to meet individual learning needs.

Buddy BenchThis bench serves as a safety zone for children who are looking for a buddy out at recess.  It fosters friendships, by

encouraging students to invite their more "lonely" peers to join them in their recess fun!

Common Core THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS:

1. Prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in college and work

2. Provide educators, parents and students with clear, focused standards or guideposts

3. Set consistent expectations, regardless of a student’s ZIP code

4. Include both knowledge and the application of subject area

5. Build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards and standards of top-performing nations

6. Are based on real-world application7. Are evidence- and research-based,

with guidance on topics to include, when to introduce content, and coherence/focus.

Comprehensive Literacy

An approach to teaching reading that combines the richness of whole language with traditional teaching, which emphasizes skill practice. This framework for teaching reading includes reading to students, reading with students, students reading independently, students reading in groups, and word study that includes phonics and phonemic awareness activities.

Five Essential Components of Reading Instruction

1. PHONEMIC AWARENESS — is commonly defined as the understanding that spoken words are made up of separate units of sound that are blended together when words are pronounced.

2. PHONICS — is a set of rules that specify the relationship between letters in the spelling of words and the sounds of spoken language

3. FLUENCY - is recognizing the words in a text rapidly and accurately and using phrasing and emphasis in a way that makes what is read sound like spoken language.

4. VOCABULARY - refers to words we need to know to communicate with others.

5. COMPREHENSION -involves constructing meaning that is reasonable and accurate by connecting what has been read to what the reader already knows and thinking about all of this information until it is understood. Comprehension is the final goal of reading instruction.

DIBELS: The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) are a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of early literacy skills from kindergarten through sixth grade. They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures used to regularly monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills. Primarily used in Kindergarten

Fundations The Fundations program is

based upon the Wilson Reading System principles and serves as a prevention program to help reduce reading and spelling failure.

Lessons in this program focus on carefully sequenced skills that include print knowledge, alphabet awareness, phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and spelling.

Print Knowledge: Understanding that written language carries meaning and that it is related to spoken language. This includes the understanding that groups of letters create a word, each word is separated by a space, and they are grouped together to form a sentence.

Phonological awareness: The ability to hear and manipulate the sound structure of language. This involves working with the sounds of language at the word, syllable, and phoneme level.

Reader's Workshop

Readers’ Workshop is a research-based approach that addresses the needs of all students in the class. Readers’ Workshop begins with a focus lesson where the teacher explicitly models a strategy or skill. After the focus lesson, the students read independently to practice the strategy or skill. During independent reading, students are reading “just-right” books that are matched to their individual abilities and interests. The teacher confers with students during independent reading to be sure they are successful in their practice or to provide 1:1 instruction around any particular needs. Sometimes, the teacher may work with a small group of students who

have similar needs during independent reading. Finally, Readers’ Workshop ends with a group share to summarize the important understandings of the lesson.

What are Strategies? Strategies are “in the

head” problem solving processes. Strategies are tools for decoding and understanding what you read. Strategy instruction helps students develop, access, and apply these strategies independently. Some examples of strategies your child will learn about include the following:

Retelling Creating sensory

images Making

connections Asking questions Inferring

Determining importance

Summarizing Synthesizing

Why Readers’ Workshop? The district has adopted

the RW model for a number of reasons, including the following:

Assessment drives instruction

Every student reads “just-right” book

Key strategies are explicitly modeled

Students have choice and ownership in their reading

Experiences foster a love of reading

Character Counts-(6 Pillars)The Six Pillars of Character is a framework for teaching good character and is composed of six ethical values (characteristics) everyone can agree upon: Trustworthiness; Respect; Responsibility; Fairness; Caring; and Citizenship. Each of the six character traits are used within the CHARACTER COUNTS!® program to help instill a positive learning environment for students and a "culture of kindness" making schools a safe environment for students to learn. The Six Pillars of Character values are not political, religious, or culturally biased. In fact, every year since 1995 our program has been officially recognized and endorsed by the U.S. Senate and The President of the United States.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education- D.A.R.ED.A.R.E. is a police officer-led series of classroom lessons that teaches children how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.

“F.G.O.” or Fishkill Government OrganizationFGO is a school-wide club that fosters leadership skills and promotes civic responsibility. All children can be involved and show school spirit either as representatives or as participants. Each class picks 2 “reps” (representatives). Picking reps is at each classroom teacher's discretion—either by lottery or by voting. Representatives and/or alternates are expected to attend bimonthly meetings. Representatives take notes and report back to their class about what is going on in FGO.

Fruit of the MonthA PTA sponsored event. Every month parent volunteers prepare and distribute the "fruit of the month" to students during the lunchtime hours. Students are given a chance to vote if they like or dislike this fruit. The results are posted on the PTA webpage. Fruit is donated by Shop Rite.

Guided Reading A method where the teacher works with small groups of students who are on a similar level. The teacher introduces small amounts of new learning, focusing on constructing meaning and problem solving strategies. This teaching method encourages independent reading strategies and involves on-going observations and assessments.

“H.U.G.S.” or Happiness Under Great Strategies This committee is in charge of special events that increase self-esteem and promote character education. It is comprised of teachers and parent leaders. Some of the programs include Red Ribbon Week, the VIP Parade, Warm Fuzzy Day in February, and Hugs Day in June.

Integrated Co-Teaching Classrooms (I.C.T.) (Previously referred to as “inclusion”) These classes are comprised of a mix of general and special education students. The classroom model emphasizes providing special education services to students with disabilities in their regular education

classrooms, rather than pulling them out of class to give services in a separate location. The special education teacher and general education teacher collaborate in providing the needed instruction for all the students in the class.

Mentoring ProgramThe primary focus of the mentor program is to help students feel connected to the school, staff and peers.  Each student who participates is assigned a staff member as a support person.  The mentor meets with the student at least once a month. Mentors may plan activities with the student to develop a positive relationship.

Morning MeetingMorning meeting is one component of the responsive classroom. The goal is to create a caring and supportive classroom community. This type of classroom stresses the commonly shared values such as trust, loyalty, honesty, fairness, respect, kindness and friendship.

Morning meeting provides students the daily opportunity to practice greetings, conversation, sharing and problem solving,

and motivation to meet the academic and social challenges of the day. It further provides opportunities to build self-confidence and trust in others. Risk-taking without fear leads to increased participation.

Moving Up Ceremony The Moving-Up Ceremony is held at the end of the school year. It is an hour long celebration for the grade level that will be moving on to the next building. This event is usually held at Wappingers Junior High School.

Open House A school-wide event that is usually scheduled in the early spring. Open House is an hour long event that provides the student’s an opportunity to show their parents what they have been working on throughout the school year.

“O.T.” or Occupational Therapy The Occupational Therapist delivers services to children whose motor delays substantially affect their academic performance in the classroom. The Occupational Therapist helps to facilitate development of skills necessary for learning

handwriting, attending, following multi-step directions and daily living skills such as shoe tying and dressing. Areas of instruction include fine motor, visual motor, visual perceptual, gross motor, and sensory integration.

Fine Motor Skills – includes drawing, cutting, and pasting, completing puzzles, buttoning, building with blocks, and climbing stairs.

PARP or Parents As Reading PartnersA New York State P.T.A. sponsored program that cements the necessary bond between the home and the school to encourage love of reading in our children. Parents are asked to read with their children for at least fifteen minutes daily, stressing the fact that reading can be fun, as well as, informative. The choice of reading materials can vary from books to anything with printed words. The daily activity of reading together strengthens reading and communication skills in the child and also strengthens the parent/child relationship. Note: The term ‘parents’ may be interpreted broadly to include all adults who play an important role in a child’s family life.

Parents As Partners Night-P.A.P.Parents As Partners Night is usually scheduled within the first few weeks of the school year. At this event the classroom teacher “walks” the parents through their child’s school day. The teacher will highlight two important topics:

1. An overview of the curriculum2. Teachers expectations for the students

Please note: At Parents as Partners night, parents are encouraged to sign up for their child’s November Parent Conference.

PBISPBIS stands for Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports. PBIS is not a curriculum- it is a framework to identify needs, develop strategies, and evaluate practice toward success. It is a process for teaching children appropriate behavior and providing the support necessary to sustain that behavior. Students are taught that Fishkill frogs are respectful, responsible and safe.

“P.T.” or Physical Therapy The focus of physical therapy is to improve an individual’s physical abilities. Therapy involves activities that strengthen the child’s

muscular control and motor coordination, especially of the larger muscles. The program is usually conducted outside the student's classroom, but may incorporate a push-in model for class or physical education when appropriate.

Gross Motor Skills – Includes running, jumping, hopping, throwing and catching a ball, building with blocks, and climbing stairs.

P.T.A. or Parent Teacher Association This large group is comprised of concerned parents, teachers, support staff, and other interested members of the community. Its goal is to develop and use community resources to increase educational opportunities and enhance the learning environment at Fishkill Elementary School. The P.T.A. provides many assemblies, grants, and family events throughout the year.

Parent Volunteer Programs Parents work with classroom teachers to assist with specific classroom needs. Teachers greatly appreciate the extra help that parents and guardians can provide by helping to display students’ work, joining

the class for holiday celebrations and social events, or sharing special skills. Parents who volunteer in the classroom on a regular basis will be required to be approved by the Board of Education.

Peer Mediation An extra curriculum program designed to help students develop the strategies needed to peacefully work out problems with their peers or with bullies.  Peer Mediators then teach the rest of the school these same strategies.  Students are also taught the difference between BIG problems which require adult assistance; and SMALL problems which can be resolved using these strategies.    Reading Readiness Includes recognition of letters of the alphabet, letter-sound association, rhyming, talking in sentences, following simple directions, and phonemic awareness.

Reading SpecialistProvides specialized instruction for students who are experiencing difficulty with beginning reading skills. The reading specialist services grade K-5 in a pull-out

setting based on the specific needs of the students.

Red Ribbon WeekRed Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country. Although the start and end dates can vary slightly depending on the organization and source, Red Ribbon Week generally takes place the last full week in October, with the weekends before and following the last full week included as appropriate celebration dates. Red Ribbon Week serves as a vehicle for communities and individuals to take a stand for the hopes and dreams of our children through a commitment to drug prevention and education and a personal commitment to live drug free lives with the ultimate goal being the creation of a drug free America.

Response to Intervention (RtI) Is a school process used to determine if a student is responding to classroom instruction and progressing as expected. In an RtI process, a student who is struggling receives additional instructional support provided by matching instruction to a student’s individual needs through a multi-

tier instructional model. Each level, also known as a tier, provides instruction with increased intensity such as smaller groups or instructional time focused on specific areas.

RtI focuses on the early prevention of academic difficulty, particularly in the areas of reading and math by:

ensuring appropriate instruction for all students

monitoring students’ progress andproviding additional levels of instructional assistance (intervention) for students who require support

Resource Room Remediation is provided for some special education students in a Resource Room setting (outside of the classroom) by a special education teacher. The usual student to teacher ratio for a Resource Room is 5:1. This teacher targets the specific needs of each student as stated on their Individual Education Plan (IEP). “S.L.T.” or School Leadership TeamThis committee promotes educational excellence and is comprised of the principal, teachers and parent leaders. Some of the programs designed and promoted by S.L.T.

include Character Education (6 Pillars), and community outreach programs.

School Psychologist Examines what is being done for students in terms of early intervention support and cognitive growth to promote proper social, emotional, and academic development. The School Psychologist administers important assessments to students in order to determine how to best meet the student’s needs. The School Psychologist then interprets test results during a L.I.T. or an I.E.P. Annual Review meeting and acts as consultant to both the parent and the classroom teachers. “Speech” or Speech Language Services The purpose of Speech Language Services is to improve a child’s ability to effectively communicate in the academic setting. Instruction can focus on improvement in articulation and/or language skills. Children with communication delays are identified through referrals, screenings, and evaluations. Direct intervention services are provided to children individually or in small groups, depending on their needs. Consultation also occurs with parents and

teachers to develop appropriate activities, techniques and strategies to improve/reinforce communication skills. The following is a list of common terminology used in Speech:

Articulation: movement of the jaw, tongue and/or lips (“articulators”) that obstruct/interrupt airflow in order to produce speech sounds. Speaking involves accuracy in placement, timing, speed, pressure and integration of the oral structures.Auditory Processing: the ability to attend, discriminate, recognize, comprehend, organize, sequence and/or retain complex sounds/verbal information. To have a breakdown in this process is called an auditory processing disorder/delay. This deficit is present despite having normal hearing.Expressive Language: the ability to use language. In other words, to communicate thoughts, feelings, ideas, and/or intentions via spoken word, written word, or symbols.Communication: the act of transferring information from one

place to another. An individual can communicate in a variety of ways:

- Verbal/Spoken Communication = face-to-face, telephone, radio, television, etc.

- Non-Verbal Communication = body language, physical gestures, facial expressions, etc.

- Written Communication = letters, books, magazines, newspaper, email, etc.

- Visualizations = pictures, graphs, charts, maps, etc.

Fluency: the smoothness or flow with which sounds, syllables, words and phrases are joined together when speaking. A fluent speaker produces speech with rhythm, inflection/prosody, and an appropriate rate. Dysfluency is a term used to describe individuals who demonstrate irregularities in the flow of speech (aka stuttering or cluttering).Motor-Planning: the brain organizes a plan and sends a signal to the necessary muscles in order to coordinate sequence and execute

specific movements to produce speech.Oral-Motor: encompasses the integrity, strength, coordination, and precise movement of the structures in the oral cavity needed for sound production.Phonemic Awareness: the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. Phonemic awareness is a pre-literacy skill needed to learn how to read. A child who has difficulty with phonemic awareness may demonstrate weakness in rhyming, blending sounds to make words and segmenting words into individual sounds.Phonological Processes: sound error patterns in a child's speech that account for substitutions, omissions, or additions of speech sounds that make a child difficult to understand.Pragmatic Language: an individual’s use of language in a socially appropriate way. Pragmatic language includes appropriate use of eye contact, body language, conversational skills, turn-taking,

topic initiation, topic maintenance, and termination of topics when speaking to others.Receptive Language: the ability to understand spoken language to derive meaning. This includes an individual’s ability to attend, listen, interpret and process information effectively.Semantics: word knowledge, vocabulary, and the meaning of language.Syntax: the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in language. It includes an individual’s ability to formulate grammatically correct and appropriate utterances.

Superintendent’s Conference DayPeriodically throughout the course of the school year Superintendent’s Conference Days are scheduled. The days are designed for teacher professional development. During these days the students are NOT in session.

Writers' WorkshopWriters’ Workshop is an approach to writing instruction that addresses the needs of all

students in the class.  Writers’ Workshop begins with a focus lesson where the teacher explicitly models the process and conventions of writing.  After the focus lesson, students write independently for an extended period of time.  During independent writing, the teacher confers with individual students to assess progress and provide 1:1 instruction to help students grow as writers.  Sometimes, the teacher may work with a small group of students who share similar writing needs during the independent writing time.  Finally, Writers’ Workshop ends with a group share where students discuss and share their writing.

Resources

Benchmark Assessments:http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/5317

Character Counts ®https://charactercounts.org/resources/personofcharacter.html

A Closer Look at the Five Essential Components of Effective Reading Instruction: A Review of Scientifically Based Reading Research for Teachers, 2004 Learning Point Associates.

THE COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS:http://nyspta.org/pdf/advocacy/nyspta_nysut_common_core_brochure_8.13.pdf

D.A.R.Ehttp://www.dare.org/about-d-a-r-e/

Parents as Reading Partners (PARP)http://www.nyspta.org/YourPTA/YourPTA_PARP.cfm

P.T.A. (Parent Teacher Association)http://www.nyspta.org/

Red Ribbon Week:

http://www.preventionpartners.com/events/red_ribbon_week.cfm